(Vichika Sok/World Vision)
By James Addis
The villagers of Thlok Vean commune find several uses for the large leaves found on the kloung tree. They are handy for wrapping food and making roofs for village huts. Here, Nat Chhim finds another use—shading his sleepy daughter Sophy from the fierce sun as he makes a trek to the local lake to hunt for snails and eels to eat.
In the past it’s been tough for Nat and his wife, Chab, to always provide the care their children need. Their first daughter struggles with multiple health problems following a difficult birth. At the time, Nat and Chab had little knowledge about health and hygiene.
Today, they are much better informed because Chab began attending a village health support group organized by World Vision. Now their children’s health is one of the couple’s top priorities. It means Sophy has a much better chance of growing up healthy and strong — and is much less likely to get sunburned.